If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

The Ministry was preceded by the Wizards' Council which had a chief rather than a minister and existed at least as early as 1269. The Ministry wasn't founded until the 1600s. I'd expect that the Wizards' Council was a good deal more sexist than the Ministry considering the name.
Hope that helps!

Mmm, so if the Wizard's Council existed around the year 1269, do you think it existed by the time Hogwarts was founded? There isn't a definite date as to when Hogwarts was founded, is it? McGonagall said in CoS, "that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain". JK has never said anything on the subject, has she? Seeing as CoS' time period is the years 1992-1993, it seems that for the years 992-993 Hogwarts already existed...

Sorry if I'm being too hard on you guys, is just that I'm writting a one shot in which Rowena and Helena are the main characters...

Oh! And Hypatia, where did you got the information about the Wizards' Council? Again, I ask the same questions, but regarding Azkaban...

I think its Very likely that the Wizards Council was around during the Founders Era.

Its sounds to be based on a 'Council Of Elders' idea which was a form of government from Before the Common Era like the Roman Senate (Senex means 'Elder' in latin giving us the word senate) and the councils of early Roman Catholicism to settle on christain doctrine.
Those considered the Wisest were given power by others to make the hard decisions. Of course there is always coruption and underhanded actions involved in any goverment.

As The founders were some of the greatest witches and wizards of the age you could probably have them on the council too if you wanted.

In regards to Azkaban not much information has been given. I would have to say that, given the lack of information, you could do anything you wanted. For all we know there could have been other wizarding prisons before the government, of the time, decided to settle on the location for Azkaban. So unless Rowling has revealed some new information I would have to say that the sky is the limit in regards to Azkaban prison.